


I'm Lucky to Have You as My Brother

by F1_rabbit



Series: Lucky [2]
Category: Motorcycling RPF
Genre: Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:43:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F1_rabbit/pseuds/F1_rabbit
Summary: Marc's bored of waiting for his shoulder to heal, but luckily Alex is around to cheer him up.[On hiatus - but there is a prequel in progress!]
Relationships: Alex Marquez & Marc Marquez, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: Lucky [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706725
Comments: 14
Kudos: 18





	1. Bored

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FrankieTerror](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankieTerror/gifts).

> This is going to be a long fic spanning the season, with one chapter a month ;D  
Enjoy <3

Marc was bored, so bored.

He'd watched way too many trashy Netflix shows, and he felt like his brain was leaking out of his ears.

But he wasn't allowed to ride, or train, or do anything too strenuous with his arm.

Which ruled out everything fun in his life.

Watching Alex play video games was frustrating, but playing one-handed and losing every time was equally frustrating.

And that was the least of his problems.

He felt like his balls were going to burst, but the last thing he wanted was to put his recovery in jeopardy for a quick wank.

Long ago, when he was a wild and reckless young rider, Dani had told him to make sure he had a girlfriend before major surgery.

Now he understood why.

Letting out a sigh, he curled up on the sofa, hoping that the next movie he picked was better than the last one.

***

Alex had never spent so much time in the gym before, it hadn't been a priority in the lower classes, but now he had to put on muscle and fast if he wanted to race with the big boys.

Marc watched him, cheering him on from the side lines, amazed how his brother could do anything that he put his mind to.

His brother would always be lanky, his height and his slender shoulders not helping with Alex’s quest to bulk up the way that he did.

Alex admired his reflection in the mirror when he though Marc wasn’t looking, running his fingers through his sweaty hair, his skin pink from the exertion.

Marc hoped that Alex would be quick to make a smooth transition to MotoGP, and he really hoped that Alex would be judged on his own merits rather than comparing the two of them.

But he knew that it would never happen.

*

The house was quiet when they got home, and Alex threw off his sweaty clothes without thinking as he headed for the shower.

Marc slunk to the sofa, the sound of running water calming his mind and he was on the verge of sleep when the water stopped, followed by the sound of Alex wandering around barefoot.

Alex passed through the living room in nothing but a towel, and Marc wolf whistled, making him jump.

"Looking good." Marc grinned, and Alex rushed to throw in a hoodie that was slung over the back of the sofa.

"I thought you had to go to the physio?”

"That’s tomorrow." Marc's smile faded, and Alex wished that he could say or do anything to make him feel better while he recovered from his surgery.

"How's your shoulder doing?"

"It's a little painful still." Marc rolled his shoulder, wincing as he did it, and the frown lines gathering on his forehead said that he wasn't happy.

"You'll be ready to race again soon." Alex crouched on the floor next to him, too damp to sit on the nice clean sofa.

"It was healed by this time last year, and that was a worse injury." Marc slumped back down in his seat, shaking his head.

"You know there's no logic to healing." Alex rested his hand on Marc's knee, and Marc placed his good hand over it. "Tiny breaks end up plaguing you for a whole season, and yet some major injuries only take a couple of months before you're at full strength again."

"I just want to be able to do something, anything apart from sitting here and watching awful films." Marc put on his best fake pout, and Alex couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I would do anything to make you feel better."

"Unless you can magically heal my injuries, there's nothing you can do." Marc tried to frown, but he couldn’t stop his smile from shining through.

"Cookies? The ones mama always makes for you when you're sad."

"She gave you the recipe?"

"Yes." Alex’s smug grin has Marc shaking his head, and he wondered how he’d managed to sweet talk mama into giving him the recipe.

"I asked her for the recipe and she wouldn't give it to me."

"Maybe she doesn't trust you not to burn the house down while making them." Alex stuck his tongue out, and Marc gave him a playful nudge, gasping as a pain shot down his arm.

Marc didn't miss the look of worry on Alex’s face, and he wished that he was better at hiding the pain. He should have had more than enough practice at it after all these years.

"Come, keep me company while I make them for you." Alex jumped to his feet, holding his hand out for Marc as though he was asking a princess for a dance, and he pulled him up with such force that Alex nearly overbalanced.

"Lucky you've got good reflexes." Marc sniggered, and Alex just snorted in laughter.

"It runs in the family."

*

Alex studied the recipe carefully as Marc sat watching, and he could see the pressure mounting as the cookies baked, Alex glancing at the oven every two minutes to make sure they didn’t burn.

It was sweet of his brother to do this for him, and just the smell of warm cookies had him smiling.

He felt lucky to have Alex in his life, and he knew that it was going to to be good having him in the garage next to him, able to support each other and develop the bike.

It would be a huge challenge for Alex, but Marc was so proud of him.

The chiming of Alex's phone alarm distracted him from his thoughts, and he watched Alex sprint to the oven, reaching out to open the door with his bare hands.

"Oven gloves!" Marc felt his panic levels rising, and he covered it with a laugh. "We don't need any more injuries this winter."

"Thanks, bro." Alex grabbed the oven gloves from where they were hanging, pulling them on as though he was pulling on his racing gloves.

The smell of warm cookies made everything feel better, and just watching Alex lovingly transfer the cookies to a plate made him feel a little bit better.

"I hope they're good."

"I'm sure they're amazing." Marc took a bite, the warm, sweet, crispy, chewy cookie was like heaven to him, and he devoured it in three bites.

Alex watched with big eyes, tapping his foot as he waited for Marc's verdict.

"It's perfect, thank you." Marc held out his good arm, and Alex ducked down for a hug.

He gave his brother a kiss on the forehead, ruffling his hair so that it stuck up at funny angles.

"I'm so lucky to have you."


	2. Surprise

“How’s the shoulder?”

He looked up to see Alex giving him a worried glance, and he wished that he could tell his brother to stop worrying about him, but he couldn’t hide anything from Alex.

Marc hated the dull ache in his shoulder, that nagging reminder that he wasn’t fully fit, that he wasn’t strong enough to fight for the title as aggressively in the past. He couldn’t shake the worried voice in his head, wondering if eight was his limit, scared that he was destined to slip away out of the sport like Valentino. He’d won nine titles so convincingly that people couldn’t believe it had been over ten years since Valentino had added his name to the world championship trophy.

He didn’t want that for his future, he wanted to go out on top.

“Bro?” Alex gently rested his hand on his good shoulder.

“The pain is bearable.” Marc wished he could give Alex a different answer, but it was the truth.

Alex winced at his answer, as though it physically caused him pain, and Marc knew that if he could take his pain away he would.

“How do you feel on the bike?”

“Amazing.” Alex’s smile shone out, and Marc felt happiness flood through his veins, temporarily taking his pain away. “I’ve dreamed of this moment for years, since we were teenagers racing on dirt tracks.”

“I’m so proud of you.”

Alex blushed, self consciously running his fingers through his hair as he looked at the floor.

Marc held his arms out for a hug, trying not to let the pain show as he raised his arm.

Alex gently rested his hand over his injured shoulder, his fingers like ice even though he’d just taken his gloves off, and Marc felt the gesture warming his heart.

“You’ll be fighting for wins by the time that the season starts.”

“I hope so.” Marc wished that he had Alex’s confidence, but he knew that sulking wouldn’t help anything.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

***

Home was mercifully cooler than Sepang, and for that Marc was glad, the heat didn't seem to be helping his shoulder.

Alex had spent half the day on his phone, secretively glancing at Marc as though he was in a spy film.

"Texting someone special?"

"No." Alex blurted it out so quickly that Marc was sure he was lying, but he would tell him when he was ready, or more likely, when he wanted advice for what to wear on a first date.

"I'll see you after my physio session?"

"Erm... sure."

Marc gave Alex a knowing smile, which only made Alex blush more, and he knew it was cruel to tease his baby brother, but he couldn't help himself.

*

Marc was ready to collapse when he walked back in. His physio had worked him extra hard, and Marc felt like he'd just done a full race at Sepang, twice.

All his texts to Alex had gone unanswered, and his dad kept telling him not to worry, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Alex was up to something.

Tossing his phone on the bed, he stripped off his clothes as he headed for the shower, the cool air sending a chill over his sweaty skin.

He was enjoying the feeling of the ice cold water running over his shoulder when there was a knock on the door, and it took him a second to realise that it was someone knocking on the door to the bathroom.

Alex burst in, a flurry of limbs heading for the toilet, and Marc was glad for the sound of the water to drown out whatever Alex was doing.

Marc was hoping that he could have a little bit of peace to finish his shower when Alex was done, but he had no such luck.

Alex peeked in, and Marc stifled a groan.

"Get your dancing shoes on, we're heading out." Alex's smile was hard to read, and Marc couldn't figure out what had sparked this sudden need to go out.

"I think I'm just going to have a quiet night."

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Alex stuck his tongue out, and Marc's mind pieced together all of Alex's strange behaviour over the last few weeks.

Alex's crush was going to be there, and he wanted a wingman.

"Okay, let me at least rinse the shampoo out of my hair first." Marc shooed his brother away, not that either of them had any sense of privacy around the other.

He could almost feel Alex's excitement as he rushed to finish washing, and he was glad that he had an overflowing wardrobe of black jeans and fancy shirts, thanks to various sponsors over the years.

Alex tapped his foot while waiting for Marc to get dressed, and Marc had to bite his tongue, not wanting to make him any more nervous before his date.

"You're driving, my shoulder is killing me."

"Deal."

*

Marc kind of recognised the club as they pulled up into the little parking area around the back, but there was a lack of people standing outside the door, and only a few mid to high end cars scattered around, rather than the crush of limos that the place usually attracted.

"Is it open?"

"Yeah?" Alex looked confused, before slipping out of the car and rushing to open Marc's door for him.

Marc ran his fingers through his hair, checking his reflection in the mirror before stepping out.

"So, are you going to tell me why you were so desperate to go clubbing?" Marc gave Alex a cheeky wink, but Alex just grinned back at him.

"You'll see."

Alex opened the door to the club, the music quieter than usual, and there wasn't the roar of people shouting to be heard.

Marc kept watching Alex, his smile growing as they walked in, and it wasn't until he saw the people scattered around the bar that he realised what Alex had been planning.

"Happy birthday!"

The sound of more than thirty people all yelling at once had Marc roaring with laughter, his pain long forgotten as he rushed up to hug his friends and family.

Alex rushed in for a hug, squeezing him tight, and Marc was glad that he couldn't feel the pain.

"Happy birthday, bro, I knew you wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity for a party."

Marc scanned the crowd, hoping that he would see a certain face, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Every time the door to the club opened, his eyes darted to it, hoping that it would be them.

And then his phone buzzed.

Dani: You're getting old like the rest of us!

Dani: Sorry I couldn't make your party, but I hope you have fun x

Marc spent the rest of the night grinning at his phone.


	3. Stubborn

Marc flexed his shoulder cautiously, checking that it was up to the job of getting washed without having to ask Alex to wash his hair for him, again.

He was working harder than ever at his recovery, his physio always saying that he was the most determined person that he'd ever worked with, but that didn't made his shoulder heal faster, no matter how much his ego loved hearing the compliments.

Opening his phone, he saw nothing but headlines talking about his shoulder, and how it wasn't healing, and he wondered if it was all in his head. It wasn't the first time that his mind had got in the way of his recovery.

Tossing his phone on the bed, he cranked the shower to cold, and he was disappointed that the water was still warm ish when it flowed down over him, denying him the relief that the icy water would bring.

He heard his phone buzzing as he rinsed the suds out of his hair, and he left wet footprints over the wooden floor of the hotel room as he dripped all the way to the bed.

Smiling, he saw a message from Dani, and he rushed to unlock his phone with wet fingers.

Dani: I hope your shoulder is feeling better for the Qatar test x

Marc: Thanks, I'm pretty much at full strength again.

Dani: You don't have to lie to me, I'm not a journalist :P

Marc: Okay, it's still giving me pain, but I can raise my arm above my head without screaming.

Marc: Happy now?! XD

Dani: I'm not happy that you're in pain, but thanks for telling me the truth.

Dani: You know that I'm here if you ever need to chat.

Marc: Thanks, I really appreciate it :)

Marc: I have to go before I'm late for testing!

Dani: I'm sure that the team won't start without you!

Marc: :P

*

Alex was just about to head out on the bike when he got to the garage, and Marc lurked in the distance, not wanting to distract him before he started for the day.

He also couldn't bear to see the pitying look in his eyes if he so much as frowned around him at the moment.

It was best that he focused on getting used to the new bike, because all eyes were on Alex, and he was going to have to get up to speed fast.

*

The morning had gone by in a blur of sand and sweat, his leathers damp and sticking to his skin as he rushed to get off the bike, and he knew that there was no point getting a shower before the afternoon session. Even in shorts and a t-shirt, the sweat was still dripping down his back and soaking his boxers.

He let the air conditioning in the garage cool his chest and arms, his leathers hanging precariously from his hips, and he wished that the heat was any help in healing his shoulder.

"Hey, how's it going?" Alex handed him an ice pack without even asking if he needed it, and he wondered if it was obvious that he was in pain.

"The heat is killing me." Marc slumped into his seat, his legs splayed out as he tried to give his body a chance to rest, and he had to focus on not making a sound as he pressed the ice pack to his shoulder.

The relief was short lived, the desert air warming him before the ice had a chance to numb his shoulder.

"I think my leathers have melted into my skin." Alex unzipped them as he tried to fan himself with a clipboard, nearly smacking himself in the face. "I feel like even my eyeballs are sweating."

Marc laughed, his crew all looking over to see what was so funny before going back to work changing up the bike, testing a desperate race to test as many components, as many options as possible before the season started, and hope that they'd picked the right ones.

He wasn't feeling as comfortable with the bike as he did last year, but he was sure that it had more to do with his shoulder, and less to do with Honda's design of the bike.

Alex seemed to think the bike was amazing, but it was a real upgrade from his Moto2 bike, so he had nothing to compare it to.

And Cal, well, all he did was complain, so he wasn't exactly the best person to judge the new bike fairly.

"I... I have something to do." Alex rushed off without warning, leaving Marc confused, and he wondered if he was off to text his mystery crush.

His behaviour definitely suggested that he had a new crush, but usually by this point he'd already confessed everything to him, and let him help plan how he was going to ask them out, but this time, he was clearly determined to keep it a secret from him.

He headed out towards hospitality, and he caught a glimpse of Alex rushing along the paddock towards the Real Avintia hospitality suite.

So that was why Alex had told him about anything yet.

He had a crush on Tito.

*

That evening Marc was waiting for Alex to come back to the hotel, but he didn't want to interrupt his brother if he was spending 'quality time' with Tito, so he ended up scrolling through his phone, too restless to watch tv, and yet too tired to do anything else.

His phone buzzed, and he ended up grinning when he saw who the text was from.

Dani: Alex is looking comfortable on the bike.

Marc: He is, I'm going to have to watch out for him!

Dani: I'm glad he's settling in well, he deserves a chance in MotoGP.

Marc: He does, I'm so proud of him.

Dani: You are the best big brother.

Marc: Yes, I am! XD

***

Marc was strolling back to the garage after an interview when he saw his brother talking to someone unlikely.

Rins.

They'd never gotten on when they were teammates together in Moto3, although Marc had no idea why, even to this day, Alex had always said that they just didn't get on, and he'd seen the pain that it had caused Alex, and at the time he'd assumed it was just jealousy for the Marquez name, and all the people that were saying Alex would be the next great thing in MotoGP.

Oh how time had made a fool of all of them, especially him.

He wished that there was something he could have do to make Alex's time in the junior series easier, to stop everyone comparing Alex to him. They were very different people, very different riders, and yet everyone just expected Alex to start racing like a champion the second that he got into Moto3, even though that was something that not even Marc could manage.

Even the great Valentino Rossi could manage to be champion in his first year in the junior class.

Not that anyone remembered that, they were all busy heaping pressure on Alex's shoulders, and Marc had wished that he could have done something to shield Alex from all of it, but it was one of the hard lessons that he had to learn about this sport.

It wasn't about who deserved to win, or even who was the best racer, but ultimately, it was about whether or not people liked you.

And if people didn't like you, they could make your career very difficult indeed.

Alex had definitely found that out the hard way, and that was why Marc was so proud of him now.

He'd earned his place in MotoGP, despite all the injuries, despite all the drama, he'd done it, and no one else.

Marc shuffled closer, trying to hide behind a but then he heard something that he would never have expected.

"I know we haven't seen eye to eye in the past, but I wanted you to know that there's no hard feelings."

Rins nodded, and for a second Marc was worried that he was going to do something petty just to hurt him, but Rins wasn't Vale, he was a good guy, despite all the drama with the two of them in the past.

"Truce?" Alex held out his hand, waiting for Rins to take it, and the tension was so thick in the air that Marc was struggling to breathe as he waited for Rins to shake his hand.

"Deal." Rins shook Alex's hand, and Marc exhaled, relieved that the tension was fading.

"Good luck with the title fight."

"Surely you should be rooting for Marc?"

"I'm his biggest fan, but I'm a racer at heart, so I want the best rider to win." Alex smiled, and Rins snorted in laughter.

"Good luck fighting for rookie of the year."

"Thank you."

Marc was amazed how mature the two of them were now, both of them had grown up into sensible young men, hell, even Jack Miller had grown up, and it made Marc feel old to remember that they were no longer teenagers squabbling at the back of the motor homes.

Alex turned to leave, and Marc tried to pretend that he hadn't been watching them, but he couldn't move quickly enough.

"Did you hear that?" Alex slung his arm around Marc's neck, making sure not to rest his arm on his injured shoulder.

"Yes, I'm proud of you for being so grown up about the whole situation."

"We all had to grow up eventually." Alex gave him a look that needed no translation, since him and Vale were equally as petty and didn't have the excuse of being teenagers.

"Hopefully one day Vale will grow up too." Marc snorted in laughter, Alex trying not to laugh out loud and failing.

"Stranger things have happened."

**Author's Note:**

> *and obviously none of this actually happened, it is all a figment of my twisted imagination ;)


End file.
